easyMultiple Choice
CISA Practice Question: Migrating from a legacy system to a cloud-based…
A company is migrating from a legacy system to a cloud-based ERP. Which of the following is the MOST important control to ensure data integrity during data conversion?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'parallel running' (a system validation technique) with a data integrity control, but parallel running validates operational consistency over time, not the precise completeness and accuracy of the converted data set itself.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Reconciliation of control totals
Reconciliation of control totals is the most important control because it directly verifies that the sum of key fields (e.g., total account balances, record counts) in the source system matches the target cloud-based ERP after conversion. This ensures no data is lost, duplicated, or corrupted during the extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) process, which is critical for maintaining data integrity in a migration from a legacy system.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Automated backup
Why it's wrong here
Backups restore data after loss or corruption; they do not validate that converted records are complete, accurate and reconciled against the legacy source. It is tempting because backups are a standard availability control, and would be the right choice when the requirement is recovery from media failure or accidental deletion rather than conversion integrity.
- ✗
User acceptance testing
Why it's wrong here
User acceptance testing validates business functionality and workflow fitness, not the completeness or accuracy of converted data. It suits confirming the ERP meets user needs; data integrity during conversion is assured by reconciliation controls comparing record counts and values between legacy and cloud systems.
- ✗
Parallel running
Why it's wrong here
Parallel running compares legacy and new system outputs over a period, which detects processing discrepancies but does not reconcile the converted opening balances themselves. It is tempting because it is a recognised conversion validation technique, and would be correct where ongoing transaction processing accuracy, not migrated data accuracy, is the concern.
- ✓
Reconciliation of control totals
Why this is correct
Reconciliation of control totals compares record counts and financial aggregates between legacy and cloud ERP after conversion, detecting missing, duplicated or altered records. This directly verifies data integrity during migration, unlike access controls or encryption, which protect data rather than confirm its completeness and accuracy.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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